“Volunteers with Urban Root, a local nonprofit that offers paid internships to local students in gardening and related areas, construct the new high tunnel earlier this year. The 30-foot wide, 48-foot long greenhouse located in St. Paul’s Railroad Island neighborhood had it’s grand opening July 17, 2018. (Courtesy of Daniel Klein).

“It’s very unique for there to be an urban housing development with all of these features,” said Summer Badawi, project manager for local nonprofit Urban Roots, which will use the greenhouse.

Students from Urban Roots, which offers paid internships to local students in gardening and related areas, have already planted cucumbers, peppers and ginger in the greenhouse, Badawi said.

Urban Roots and Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services have discussed creating a high tunnel in the area for around 20 years, Badawi said. The two groups also have collaborated on the development’s orchard, a honeybee hive and pollinator plantings.

Urban Roots interns will use produce harvested from the high tunnel and other sites in its student-run micro-farm business, she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture helped fund the high tunnel, which typically costs around $8,000 to $12,000, she said.

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